November 3, 2017

Members, before we take our seats, I
would like for us to join in a moment of silence for the
passing of one of our former long-serving Members,
Mr. Reginald Burrows .
For those who did not know, Mr. Burrows
passed during the night, and I think it is fitting that we
take this moment to recognise him as having been an
old soldier of this House, one of those who mentored me when I first came to this House. His passing will not
only be a loss to this House, for what he did here for his
country, but for his family . We ask that a moment of
silence be taken now out of respect for his family.

[The House rose and observed a mom ent of silence. ]

Third, Honourable Members, in accordance with the provisions of section 54(1) of the Bermuda Constitution Order 1968, the Constituency
Boundaries Commission Report 2017 and 2018 has
been submitted to the Office of the Legislature, and I now table this report in the House for the information of
Honourable Members.
Copies have been distributed to Members, and
you should find them on your desks. Thank you.

MESSAGES FROM THE SENATE

There are two.
I recognise Mr. Premier.

CONTRIBUTORY PENSIONS (AMENDMENT OF
BENEFITS AND CONTRIBUTIONS) ORDER 2017
Hon. E. David Burt: Good morning, Mr. Speaker.
456 3 November 2017 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to attach and
submit for the consideration of the Honourable House
of Assembly the Contributory Pensions (Amendment of
Benefits and Contributions) Order 2017.

Thank you, Mr. Premier.
The second communication is from Minister
Foggo. Minister Foggo, you have the floor.

CODE OF PRACTICE F OR PROJECT
MANAGEMENT AND PROCUREMENT

Hon. Lovitta F. Foggo: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and
good morning, Members.
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to attach and
submit for the information of this Honourable House of
Assembly the Code of Practice for Project Management and Procurement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mem bers, there is one this morning (for
a change). Mr. Premier, I see you are the only one with
a Statement this morning.
Mr. Premier, you have the floor.

BERMUDA’S NEW GOVERNMENT —
THE FIRST 100 DAYS AND BEYOND

Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, o ur democracy is a hybrid creature founded in the British parliamentary system and
Cabinet -style Government , with a healthy dose of
American benchmarks resulting from our proximity to
the United States. This Government set for itself a series of goals to be met within 100 days
of being elected,
and this pledge can trace its origins to the first admin-istration of Franklin D. Roosevelt , who took office
amidst one of the most try ing times for ordinary people
in the United States.
Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to report that since this new Government took office we have successfully completed, or significantly
advanced, twenty -one of the twenty -one 100-day
pledges that we made to the people of Bermuda.

[Desk thumping]
Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, t he election of 2017
was a referendum on ideals and vision for this country. The people of Bermuda were presented with a clear
choice. History now records that the people of this country chose a Government who would put Bermudians first, a Government who would no longer subjugate
the rights and aspirations of Bermudians to the inter-ests of the privileged few.
Mr. Speaker, t he voice of the people resonates
even now in our ears , as elected representatives , because the sheer numbers of voters and the marg in of
the election victory make the phrase “ mandate for
change” more than a trite political slogan, but translates
into a directive for this Government to usher i n a period
of renewed prosperity for the people of this country.
These first 100 days have been trying and testing as the new G overnment comes to grips with the
enormity of the task before us. However, Mr. Speaker,
we are equal to the task , and I am pleas ed to advise
Honourable Members and the public that these 100
days have been a success story —a story of demanding
more from ourselves as public servants and a story of charting a course for this country that matches the mandate we received from the people on July 18
th.
Mr. Speaker, t his Government pledged to improve the standard of governance in Bermuda. Within
the first 100 days we have amended the Ministerial
Code of C onduct to increase disclosure requirements
of ministers, and today we tabled the new Code of
Practice for Project Management and Procurement.
The Standing Orders and Privileges Committee will submit changes to S tanding Orders to create Premier’s
Question Time and implement the SAGE Commission’s recommendation to establish three permanent Parliamentary Oversight Committees . And that committee will soon ask this Honourable House to approve a Code of Conduct for parliamentarians . Promises made,
Mr. Speaker, and promises kept !

[Desk thumping]

Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, the centrepiece of
any modern economy’s foundation must be education.
As we promised, we have put the needs of Bermudian
students, young and old, to the forefront of our policy
development. In order to make Bermudians employees
of choice in their own countr y, we must provide our people with the tools required of them to take their place in
driving this economy. This is a skills -based economy ,
and so we have delivered on our promise to make ed-ucation and training at the Bermuda College available to all.
Mr. Speaker, there have been few prouder moments thus far in my premiership than having a parent
thank me for providing the opportunity for their child to
attend the Bermuda College, which would have been
unlikely without this G overnments’ financia l support.
The actions of this G overnment saw 18 8 additional Bermudian students gain access to college courses or
training programmes.



Bermuda House of Assembly [Desk thumping]

Hon. E. David Burt: [These are] 188 Bermudians who
may not have had that chance to advance their educa-tion or lear n a new skill, but got that chance because
this PLP Government put Bermudians first.
As I said, Mr. Speaker, promise made—promise kept.
Mr. Speaker, it remains a betrayal of our claims
to be a modern and sophisticated jurisdiction where in
2017 we have s chools wit hout wireless Internet. In
keeping with our 100-day promise to commence the in-stallation of Wi-Fi in schools , I can advise Honourable
Members that Purvis Primary and East End Primary Schools have commenced Wi- Fi installation ; and before the end of this school year, all schools will be
equipped with this required technology.
To complement the SCORE Report, an assessment of the health and safety priorities for all of our
public schools has been completed. We are committed
to ac ting on the recommendations set out to ensure that
our children are being educated in facilities that meet
the legitimate expectat ions of their hardworking tax -
paying parents.
Mr. Speaker, very often, the heartbeat of our
communities can be found in clubs and community centres. This Government committed to do more than pay
lip service to their importance and promised to extend loan guarantees for community clubs seeking to up-grade their facilities. The Cabinet has approved the
loan guarantee programme for community clubs , and
we will shortly communicate to clubs how they can take advantage of this programme which sees G overnment
at its best: working for the people who work to enrich our communities. We also pledged to build healthier
communities , and to that end, the Ministry of Public
Works has identified outdoor fitness equipment which
will be installed at Astwood Park, the Arboretum, and
Shelly Bay Park.
Again, Mr. Speaker, promise made—promise
kept.

[Desk thumping]

Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, a s we pledged to
increase job training to prepare Bermudians to fill jobs held by guest workers, this Government implemented initiatives over the first 100 days which will provide busi-ness and educational opportunities for our local entrepreneurs and our tradespeople.
With the fee for national certification being
waived until the end of the year, the Ministry of Education and Workforce Development is committed to getting persons working in specifi ed occupations registered and certified. To support our entrepr eneurs, Cabinet has approved the doubling of the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation’s [BEDC] capital from
$1 million to $2 million, which will increase the flexibility
of the BEDC to support local economic growth. The BEDC will also place an increased focus on coopera-tive economics , which will be led by a director of cooperative economics at the BEDC.
Again Mr. Speaker, p romise made—promise
kept.
[Desk thumping]
Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, t he opportunity presented by this electoral mandate is one which can
make the diversification of this ec onomy a reality. Infrastructure -neutral technology -based activities are the
next wave of economic development for Bermuda, and
this Government has taken the steps required to usher
in the era for th is Islan d. As we sit in this Honourable
House today, the technology marketplace is actively
considering the Request for Information issued by the Ministry of Public Works for a Tech Hub. Additionally,
the Government is working aggressively to update our
laws and r egulations to support new waves of businesses that are emerging which are based on distributed ledger technologies and crypto-currencies.
Mr. Speaker, g ood ideas know no political allegiance. The stark contrasts of a political campaign must
give way to a rational and pragmatic means by which
to govern. Bermuda First is the fulfilment of that approach. This G overnment has assembled the Island’s
keenest thinkers, the most committed men and women,
and challenged them to step beyond the usual partisanship that dominates our engagement with one another.
The re-establishment of Bermuda First is critical to the
Government’s stated aim of building a fairer and better Bermuda. Comfort zones are being abandoned, and as
equals, trade unionists, bankers, insurance exec utives
and entrepreneurs will be guided by one single principle: Bermuda First.
It would be impossible to set about building a
fairer and better Bermuda without addressing the issue of taxation. The unequal burden borne by hardworking
men and women in thi s country demonstrates a system
crying out for reform. In these first 100 days , this Government has established a Tax Reform Commission whose statutory mandate is to make Bermuda’s system
of taxation fairer and to work towards a basic principle of equity in taxation.
Again, Mr. Speaker, promise m ade—p romise
kept.

[Desk thumping]
Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, a s we knocked on
the doors and listened to the people of Bermuda, the
illogical, and in some cases unconscionable, prices of
food and ot her goods was constant ly mentioned. We
cannot, on one hand, promote healthy food options as a means by which to improve quality of life and relieve
the stresses on the system of health care, and yet preside over a system that makes fresh vegetables more
458 3 November 2017 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly expensive than preservative- laden snacks. This operating at cross purposes must end, and I am pleased to
advise this Honourable House that Mem bers will be invited this month to consider a Bill to grant additional
powers to the Price Control Commission aimed directly
at reducing the cost of living in Bermuda.
Mr. Speaker, the high cost of living particularly
impacts our seniors , who struggle monthly to make
ends meet. During the election we promised that we
would increase seniors ’ pensions by the rate of infl ation
every year, and today , with the tabling of the Contributory Pensions (Amendment of Contributions and Benefits) Order 2017, this Government has kept its word to
our seniors.

[Desk thumping]

Hon. E. David Burt: Pensions will be increased by the
rate of inflation , Mr. Speaker, and that is a promise that
this Government is honoured to keep.
Mr. Speaker, public sector unions are currently
at the negotiating table. A negotiating team is meeting
regularly with each representative union, and the mandate given to that team by this G overnment is to re-establish confidence in the process and to do what is fea-sible to engender again a respect for the labour of the
workers of this country.
Mr. Speaker, to put Bermudians first, we must
have an immigration system that works. This Government has established a Bipartisan Committee on Immi-gration Reform to collaboratively work on what has
been a historically divisive issue.
And with regard to the One Bermuda Alliance’s
immigration policy , which rem oved the requirement that
businesses who bring in overseas entertainers must
also employ a Bermudian group at the venue at the same time, the Government is currently reviewing the
immigration policy proposed by the Musicians Union.
Shortly, stakeholder groups will be consulted before finalising the policy.
Mr. Speaker, voters told us that fresh energy
was required to address the issues that directly affect
them and their communities. This is especially so with
respect to violence and antisocial behaviour. W e have
changed the conversation, Mr. Speaker. We now speak
openly about the need for systemic change to address
the multi -generational issues that have given rise to violence in this country. We speak of providing economic opportunities for those who this system has, by design,
marginalis ed and condemned to the fringes of this society.
The Ministry of National Security is leading a
joined-up cross -ministry effort to start at the earliest
possible age to present our children and young people with alternatives to the lifestyle that has led to death, incarceration or forced emigration. We promised the
voters action in our first 100 days, and with the appointment of a gang violence reduction coordinator , it is just one more promise made that this G overnment has
kept.
Mr. Speaker, it is a sad indictment of this Government’s critics that they are confined to travel costs
in their assessment of our performance. Mr. Speaker,
after a blunt and overt attack on Bermuda from the
Leader of the Opposition in the United Kingdom ’s
House of Commons , after the cyberattack on a global
law firm with offices in Bermuda, and after regional devastation in other Overseas Territories, only the most
small -minded of individuals would question the need for
Bermuda to be present and vocal on the international
stage. We travel to protect Bermuda’s interests; we travel to support our athletes and our cultural ambassadors; and we travel to ensure that investors and tourists always have Bermuda top of mind. Our travel is not
only necessary, Mr. Speaker; it is vital.
Mr. Speaker, s peaking of travel, this G overnment is confronted with a contr act for the construction
and 30-year management of a new terminal at the L. F.
Wade International Airport , which has now been upended by the potential sale to a Chinese firm of Canadian Company Aecon.
In keeping with our promise to the people of
Bermuda, this latest development and the overall arrangement are the subject of a full review. The people
demanded that we examine this contract with a view to
improving this deal, and this we shall do. This Government is determined to emerge from this review with a
better deal for the Bermudian taxpayer , to mitigate the
clear privatisation efforts of the previous administration.
Mr. Speaker, t hese 100 days have been an incredible period of service. It has been exciting to progress the work of meeting the expectations of the thou-sands of Bermudians who voted—not just those who voted for this Government, but for all Bermudians. The
pace that Ministers, backbench M Ps and civil servants
have kept has been remarkable. This has been a true
team effort , and I am confident that we are now poised
for the transformative change to Bermuda that we promised.
Mr. Speaker, b uilding a better and fairer Bermuda could never be described as a 100-day task. It is
a promise that seeks to eliminate the vestiges of unearned privilege; a promise that manifests the real hopes and aspirations of people who, for too long, have
been spectators to the success of this economy . It is a
promi se that demands social justice as the norm and
not the hard-fought exception. It is a promise that is
guided by some very simple words: Bermuda and Bermudians f irst.
Mr. Speaker, before I take my seat, I would like
to thank colleagues in this Honourable House, and the
members of the civil service, for their extremely hard
work over the past 100 days. Additionally, I would like
to thank the members of the wider Bermud ian community who have realised that the election is over and now is the time to work toget her to grow our economy and
create that better and fairer Bermuda. Our country is


Bermuda House of Assembly facing a number of significant threats from overseas .
And while some in this H ouse may be tempted to chase
headlines in the daily or seek attention on social media,
we must r emem ber that it is Bermuda versus the rest
of the world. The energy spent fighting each other can
be better spent working to ensure that the policies we
create are balanced and will lead to the jobs and growth
that this I sland so desperately needs.
Mr. Spe aker, while Bermuda’s Government
has made strides in the right direction, with twenty -one
out of our twenty -one 100-day pledges being completed, or substantially advanced, there is still a long
way for us to go. The Government will now shift its focus to delivering on the promises laid out in the Throne
Speech and will work tirelessly with stakeholders to grow Bermuda’s economy and create jobs.
The business community and our trade unions
are responding positively, and now it is time for their
political leaders to work collaboratively to advance Bermuda’s interests. Our task of creating that better and
fairer Bermuda, Mr. Speaker, is underway, and our
commitment to the people of Bermuda will be continuously at the forefront of everything that this new Progressive Labour Party Government does.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

[Desk thumping]

We have one report, from the Standing
Orders and Privileges Committee. A nd the Deputy
Speaker will present that report.
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Thank you, Mr.
Speaker.

STANDING ORDERS
AND PRIVILEGES COMMITTEE
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Honourable Members,
I hereby present for the information of the Members the Report of the Standing Orders and Privileges Committee, dated the 3
rd of November 2017. Copies of the report and addendum have been distributed to Members.
Thank you.

Members, we have four Members who
have indicated that they have questions for the Premier
in reference to his Statement on the 100 days. The first Member who has indicated that she
would like to ask questions is the Honourable Opposition Leader. Honourabl e Opposition Leader, you have
the floor.

QUESTION 1: BERMUDA’S NEW GOVERNMENT —
THE FIRST 100 DAYS AND BEYOND
Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Thank you, Mr.
Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, on page 4 of the Premier’s Statement, he indicated that the BEDC capital has been increased from $1 million to $2 million, which will increase the flexibility of the BEDC to support local eco-nomic growth.
I wonder if the Premier w ould be good enough
to advise the Honourable House how much of the orig-inal $1 million has actually been utilised thus far?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, in response to the Opposition
Leader’s statement regarding the amount o f the $1 million . . . (Sorry.)
The question she asked was, how much of the
$1 million guarantee has been utilised? I think I understand the question of which she is really trying to ask,
which is, what percentage of the existing guarantee capacity has been used? As it is in the public domain, the existing guarantee capacity, I believe, the total guarantee capacity is about $6 million, and the amount of
which has been used, I believe, is in the range of between $1 million and $2 million.
But I think what is clear, Mr. Speaker, and I
would like to read from the Statement, is that “the Cabinet has approved the doubling of the Bermuda Eco-nomic Development Corporation’s [BEDC] capital from
$1 million to $2 million, which will increase the flexibility
of the BEDC to support local economic growth.” And
the reason why I state this, Mr. Speaker, is that during
the election campaign we pledged to double the guarantee capacity.
Yes, we have doubled the guarantee capacity,
but as we have been in Government for the first 100
days, we found that the issue with the Bermuda E conomic Development Corporation is not the guarantee
capacity; it is the flexibility of the BEDC to help to stim-ulate economic growth. So, when we are talking about
small entrepreneurs who might need access to temporary micro -loans, then it may make more sense than in
a bureaucratic process; rather than guaranteeing loans
in the private sector we can lend that assistance directly
to get these businesses up and running and to provide
jobs for our people.
So that is what we are doing with the doubling
of the capital. It is increasing the flexibility for the BEDC
460 3 November 2017 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly to increase economic activity and jobs in Bermuda, Mr.
Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Premier.
Supplementary or new question? New question, yes. Continue on, Opposition Leader.

QUESTION 2 : BERMUDA’S NEW GOVERNMENT —
THE FIRST 100 DAYS AND BEYOND
Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Thank you, Mr.
Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, on page 5 of the Premier’s Statement, second paragraph, the Premier indicated that the
“Government has established a Tax Reform Commission . . .” Can the Premier advise who the members of
that Tax Reform Commission are?

Thank you, Member.
Mr. Premier?

Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you very much, Mr .
Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the Tax Reform Commission Act
has been passed and has been assented to by the
Governor. As the Opposition Leader knows full well in communications with which we have had, we are going
to meet to discuss her appointments to the comm ission. And I am meeting with the chairman of the Commission on Monday. And the final announcements of all the persons will be announced when we finish meeting
and have that consultation period completed.

Supplementary. Yes.

SUPPLEMENTARY

Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: In light of the Premier’s response and the current status, would it not have been more correct in the Premier ’s Statement to indicate that progress has been made towards the for-mation of the Tax Reform Commission, that legislation
has been passed? Because this says that the Commission has been established, and that is not entirely accurate.

Good morning, Mr.
Speaker, and thank you.
Mr. Speaker, my first question actually is . . . I
think it is on page 1, the Premier refers to having “ successfully completed or significantly advanced twenty -
one of the twenty -one 100-day pledges that we made
to the people of Bermuda. ” Could the Honourable
Member give an indication of when the so-called “sig-nificantly advanced” pledges will be completed?

Thank you, Member.
Premier.

Hon. E. David Burt: Certainly. Mr. Speaker, I am
happy t o provide an answer for the Minister on that
Statement regarding the 21 items. Sorry, the Honoura-ble Member, not the Minister.
Out of the 21 items which were listed for completion, 14 of which are fully complete, the seven which
are not complete . . . and I will be happy to provide an
estimate. There is the grant of additional powers to the existing Price Control Commission, as I indicated in my Statement that that will be the Bill coming to Parliament shortly. Regarding the appointed Director of Co-operative Economics at the BEDC, the items have been laid
out at the BEDC, and that appointment will be made
imminently.
Regarding concluding negotiations with public
sector unions, unfortunately, I cannot give a time to the
Minister [sic]. That process is currently ongoing. But we
hope to conclude it as soon as we are able.
Regarding the question about the immigration
policy, for reversing the immigration policy regarding
musicians as was stated inside of the Statement, the consultation process is about to be c omplete. And
those items will be done. Regarding the installation of fitness equipment in Bermuda’s public parks, the equip-ment has been identified and ordered, and it will be in-stalled soon after it arrives. I cannot give an exact time,
but I am assuming by the end of the year. And then the
reviewing of the privatisation contract between Aecon and Bermuda Government, as we have noted, and the
Deputy Premier has indicated, that process is ongoing.
It is a very large contract. But we are going to make sure t hat we examine all of the Government’s options.
The final item, which is the implementation of a
Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament, that pro-cess will be controlled by the House Standing Orders


Bermuda House of Assembly and Privileges Committee. And I am sure that when that
committee has completed its work, all Honourable
Members will be aware.

If I may. The Honourable
Member refers to the revamped Ministerial Code of
Conduct. Could the Honourable Member speak to what
were the additional disclosure requirements that Minis-ters now have to provide?

Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I do believe at our last sitting, the
Honourable Minister responsible for the Cabinet Office identified those items, and they are a matter for the
public record.